The split between South Korea and its longtime ally the United States over policy toward North Korea marked many of the events of 2005. Since the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. and South Korea had maintained a close military alliance vis-à-vis their common enemy, North Korea, and though both countries agreed on the objective—defense against possible hostilities from North Korea and eventual reunification—they began to diverge from concordance on the method of achieving that objective.

South Korea had moved farther to the left in such matters as the election in 2002 of a new president and in its attitude toward North Korea, whereas the U.S. had moved farther to the right under the policies of Pres. George W. Bush. In 2005 South Korea continued to pursue a policy of engagement with North Korea, aimed at increased levels of trade, economic assistance, and visitor exchanges, while the U.S. continued its confrontational rhetoric regarding North Korea’s cessation of nuclear-weapons production.

South Korea increased trade with both the U.S. and North Korea and moved up one notch to become the U.S.’s seventh largest trading partner. In addition, Seoul replaced Beijing as the single-largest trading partner with North Korea.

South Korean–Japanese relations deteriorated on two fronts. The first was an argument over the ownership of an island group that South Korea called Tokdo and that Japan referred to as Takeshima (some maps used a neutral term—the Liancourt Rocks). The issue came to the fore when the Shimane Prefectural Assembly—not the Japanese government—declared that February 22 was Takeshima Day. The South Korean government immediately lodged protests with the Japanese government, which said that it could not become involved in local matters. The second issue, which had boiled to the surface in the past, involved the issuance of Japanese history books that South Korea and China charged had toned down the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during World War II. A solution was reached, however, when South Korea, China, and Japan formed a committee to write a history acceptable to all parties.

Pres. Roh Moo Hyun made four overseas trips that were a boost to his sagging approval ratings at home. He visited seven countries: Costa Rica, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and the U.S. twice, including one stop in New York City to address the United Nations. In addition, Roh played host in June to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The crowning event of the year, however, was South Korea’s hosting in November of the 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, where leaders of 21 countries in the Pacific region attended meetings in Pusan.

On the domestic front, a controversial redevelopment project that included the removal of the overhead Cheonggye Highway—which was built during the 1970s and covered a hopelessly polluted stream and blighted area but provided a rapid exit from downtown Seoul to the east side of town and eastern suburbs—turned into an unmitigated success. Though Mayor Lee Myung Bak’s plan to tear down the crumbling highway and restore the stream was initially met with skepticism, concerns about greater traffic congestion were swept away after the stream was restored and beautifully landscaped along its banks with bridges, stepping stones, walkways, and jogging/biking paths. These areas became a tourist attraction and an example of an urban-beautification success story.

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